Carbohydrate loading

Carbohydrate loading is a research proven fueling strategy designed to improve endurance performance. There have been many different protocols over the years but the simplest strategy is to rest for 24-48 hours before the race whilst simultaneously increasing your intake of carbohydrates.

Reducing your training volume (tapering) and increasing carbohydrate intake will allow your body to store high levels of muscle glycogen. Research has shown that this method can boost performance by 20%. In practical terms, if you suffer from fatigue and exhaustion 20 miles into the marathon (commonly termed ‘hitting the wall’), carbohydrate loading will enable you to extend the distance before you begin to suffer.

Here, we will provide you with a very simple, tried and tested strategy that will help you last the distance and hopefully prevent you from hitting the dreaded ‘wall’.

How to carbo-load………..

During the 24 hours before the race, increase the amount of carbohydrate in your diet (7 – 10 g carbohydrate per kg body weight) while at the same time reducing the amount of protein and fat. At this stage, your training schedule will be quite light so your energy expenditure will be reduced. Therefore, your total calorie intake should be similar but the percentage of which comes from carbohydrates should be higher.

Don’t worry about the numbers, there are some really easy practical ways to achieve the desired effect. For example, if you eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast, add some jam on toast and a glass of fruit juice. If you usually eat a cheese sandwich at lunch, change it to a jam or honey sandwich on thick sliced bread. If you’re eating corn based chili con carne in the evening, take one less spoonful of chili and add another spoonful of rice or half a jacket potato.

Try to avoid leaving your carbo-loading to the night before the race as this can leave you feeling bloated and sluggish on the start line – spread your carbohydrate intake throughout the day.

You may feel some digestive changes such as symptoms like gas, diarrhea and stomach discomfort. This isn’t unusual but can be avoided by eating more liquid forms of carbohydrates such as juices, smoothies, flavoured milk. Other changes include whole-grain breads and cereals instead of white bread and tinned fruit instead of fresh fruit.

Practice your carbo-loading strategy before a long training run to ensure you are familiar with the foods and get a sense of how it feels to run with high glycogen stores.

Warning: For every 1 g of carbohydrate you store an extra 3 g of water. This means you may end up putting on a little weight (~1 kg). Don’t worry, this isn’t fat, it’s the extra energy and fluid you will rely on come race day.

Failing to eat enough carbohydrate is a common issue. Use the information provided to plan well in advance the types and quantity of foods you need to eat to boost your energy levels.

Training too hard in the week before a race will compromise your energy stores and reduce your ability to carbo-load. Build in a training taper to maximize your performance.

Eating the wrong carbohydrates can increase the amount of fibre in your diet and you may feel full very early. Choose carbohydrate sources such as sugar, fruit juices, sports drinks, jam, honey, tropical fruit, white bread, low-fibre cereal and cut back on green leafy vegetables and wholegrain cereals and bread.

Using carbo-loading as an excuse to eat anything can result in a high intake of fat (e.g. chips, pizza, cakes, pastries). Stick to a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-fibre diet.